3619 Results
Quotes
Quotes based on international documents, law, and treaties- "When the counting process is completed the results should immediately be announced and posted at the counting station."
- "The electoral legislation should establish a specific time frame in which results must be announced, in order to reduce uncertainty and minimise potential conflict or fraud."
- "The legal framework should provide for such timely publication of results."
- "The announcement of results should be expeditious, and the information that is published should be complete (including the actual numbers of votes cast, and not just percentages."
- "Observers should try to obtain copies of the official tabulated results sheets or protocols from each level of the tabulation process."
- "There should be immediate release of official election results on completion of counting."
- "The timely announcement of election results enhances the transparency of the electoral process. The promptness or otherwise with which the results of an election are made known may depend on the electoral system that is in place. The first-past-the-post system has the ability to produce early results, particularly when the counting of the ballots is done at the polling stations."
- "Results from the results centres should be announced publicly."
- "An official copy of the results should be posted at the polling station (e.g., pinned to the door) as soon as the counting is completed, to provide an opportunity for results to be publicly inspected."
- "In particular, the EMB should ensure that: results are published in full, including a breakdown of results by individual polling station/counting centre, as well as regional constituencies, to allow for crosschecking of results."
- "In particular, the EMB should ensure that: detailed results are published at every stage of the aggregation and tabulation process as soon as they are available, indicating how many votes have been won by each candidate or political party and the number of invalid votes."
- "The legal framework should ensure, among other things, that: ...Tally sheets at intermediate and final counting centers record disaggregated votes, as well as aggregated results tabulations, are easily verified, publicly posted and provided to representatives of political parties, candidates, groups supporting or opposing referenda or other ballot initiatives, domestic nonpartisan election monitors, news media and international election observers."
- "The publication of results should include detailed breakdowns nationally, regionally (if applicable), and by polling stations (if votes are counted in this manner) or other voting sites or methods, except in highly exceptional circumstances where identifying the geographical distribution of the results of voting could lead to discrimination, retributions, or other severe adverse action against a local or regional population, and such circumstances should be explained and be subject to judicial review."
- "...[O]bservers and the media should all have the right to receive copies of the official results of each polling station ('protocols') which should also be made available to the general public by posting in a public place."
- "The legal framework should clearly specify that observers can make copies, or shall be given copies, of all protocols, tabulation and tally sheets."
- "At the count observers should pay particular attention to the following points:...the security of the papers at all stages of the count; checking that there is no opportunity to falsify or substitute papers."
- "The legal framework should provide, in clear and objective language, the procedures for transferring the certified copes, results of counting, ballot papers and other election materials from polling stations and other, lower levels of EMBs to intermediate and higher EMBs for consolidation and safekeeping."
- "Result centers should be established in all SADC countries and should be open to the public and used to ensure acceptance of election results."
- "SADC Member States shall adhere to the following principles in the conduct of democratic elections: Challenge of the election results as provided for in the law of the land."
- "107. The audit system shall provide the ability to cross-check and verify the correct operation of the e-voting system and the accuracy of the result, to detect fraud and to prove that all counted votes are authentic and that all votes have been counted. 108. The audit system shall provide the ability to verify that an e-election or e-referendum has complied with the applicable legal provisions, the aim being to verify that the results are an accurate representation of the authentic votes."
- "The audit system shall be designed and implemented as part of the e-voting system. Audit facilities shall be present on different levels of the system: logical, technical and application."
- "There should be independent scrutiny of the voting and counting process and access to judicial review or other equivalent process so that electors have confidence in the security of the ballot and the counting of the votes."
- "The electoral law should provide a mechanism for the invalidation of election results. In both parliamentary and presidential elections, the decision to partially or fully invalidate election results should be assigned to the highest electoral body. This decision should be reviewable by the highest body of the judiciary or the Constitutional Court. "
- "The e-voting system shall not prevent the partial or complete re-run of an election or a referendum."
- "At the count observers should pay particular attention to the following points:...the existence of a right to demand a recount."
- "Many electoral legislative schemes permit a recount at the request of a candidate or party agent who is present at the counting proceedings."
- "40. The electoral law should lay down the grounds upon which complaints and appeals are admissible. Any complainant should be duly notified in writing of the decision as to whether his/her petition was considered admissible or not, with reasons given. 41. Grounds for appeal should be strictly defined in the law, preferably for each phase involving an election dispute mechanism, so that courts and electoral bodies are not burdened with irrelevant or frivolous challenges. 42. The parties authorized to bring election-related complaints or appeals before a court or an electoral body should be strictly identified by the electoral law. 43. Time-limits and procedures governing the admissibility of complaints and appeals should be designed so as to preserve the right of aggrieved parties to seek redress."
- "Counting should not take place in an atmosphere of intimidation."
- "The counting process should take place in the polling station immediately after the close of voting."
- "In particular, the EMB should ensure that: the results process is fully accessible to candidates, political parties, their agents, domestic and international observers and the media."
- "The legal framework should ensure, among other things, that: ...Ballots are placed in a manner that allows verification that they are being credited to the proper electoral contestant, including party, candidate, position supporting or opposing a referendum or ballot initiative."
- "The legal framework should ensure, among other things, that: ...Transparency mechanisms allow effective monitoring by electoral contestants, domestic nonpartisan election monitors, news media and international election observers, which includes verifying transmission of results by any medium and accompanying transport of ballots, tally sheets and other sensitive materials to intermediate and/or final results tabulation centers;"
- "The counting and tabulation of votes should be fully transparent and accessible to representatives of election contestants, as well as observers."
- "Illustrative of this minimum standard is Paragraph 7.4 of the OSCE 1990 Copenhagen Document, which requires that votes "are counted and reported honestly with the official results made public." This requires that votes be counted and tabulated in the presence of observers, and that the entire process by which a winner is determined be fully and completely transparent."
- "The counting of votes should be done at the polling station where candidates and/or their election agents are present."
- "Wherever possible, counting should take place at the polling stations and immediately after the conclusion of voting. Different arrangements may however be required if there are serious practical difficulties in ensuring the security of counts conducted at a multi-plicity of polling stations, or if it is thought necessary to combine ballots from different polling stations, before counting, to preserve the secrecy of the ballot or to minimise the risk of intimidation."
- "A counting system in which the ballots are not counted in the polling station but transported to a central counting location produces additional problems of transparency and verification."
- "[Ballots] should not be rejected for a minor breach of the rules for example using a tick or underlining instead of a cross."
- "The regulatory framework should ensure that the method of counting takes full account of the intention of the voter…."
- "The paramount principle should be that if the intention of the voter is clear, the ballot should be counted."
- "The legal framework should ensure, among other things, that: ...Rules for determining ballot validity honor the clear intent of the voter."
- "The procedures for rejecting void votes and invalidating ballots should be closely followed. If the voter’s intention is clear, her/his vote should be allowed"
- "Rules for determining the validity of ballots should not be so stringent as to unreasonably disenfranchise a voter."
- "Closing and counting procedures should be established in law and provide safeguards that guarantee a transparent, prompt and accurate count."
- "We commit our Governments to: d) safeguard the human and civil liberties of all citizens including the freedom of…expression…as well as access to the media on the part of all stakeholders, during electoral processes."
- "Individuals or political parties shall have the right to freedom of movement, to campaign and to express political opinions with full access to the media and information within the limits of the laws of the land."
- "Provide that no legal or administrative obstacle stands in the way of unimpeded access to the media on a non-discriminatory basis for all political groupings and individuals wishing to participate in the electoral process."
- "SADC Member States shall adhere to the following principles in the conduct of democratic elections: Equal opportunity for all political parties to access the state media."
- "It is generally accepted that [the public media] should not be political partisan in their editorial coverage. This was the view set out by the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, in his 1999 report, when he spoke of the obligation of the state-owned media to give voice to a variety of opinions and not to be a propaganda organ for one particular political party. Also, they have particular obligations to provide civic education, as well as to provide a platform for the different political parties. This point is fundamental. Use of a public resource for partisan political campaigning carries all the same legal and ethical implications whether the resource is funds, a vehicle, a building, or a radio station. This is why there are so often clear laws or regulations protecting public media against government interference."
- "...the State and its organs should therefore ensure: That parties and candidates are free to communicate their views to the electorate, and that they enjoy equality of access to State and public-service media."